Missing Effects

I tried to create the Light-saber effect on the downloaded project file to introduce myself to HITFIL3EXPRESS. After making a composite shot, I searched for the 'Lightsword' effect but the only things that appeared were Color Correction & Keying. I checked the Generate folder and found the three effects missing. I have had this software for only a day and am not sure if anything else is missing. Should I un-install the software then re-install or is it possible to download these effects on the world-wide web? Is my Mac able to support the effect?

The Lightsword and Force Lightning effects might seem like the main attraction in a couple of promos because that was the December, 2015 giveaway. Portal Combat was a nice bit of marketing because it crossed over to the massive Film Riot audience.

Sorry a possible need for an add-on pack suddenly makes the software unappealing. I point out you can do Lightsabers in Hitfilm Express without the Lightsword effect--the way you do Lightsabers in every other NLE--by doing a little roto work on a white plane and adding a glow effect. Specialized tools in NLEs/VFX tools can speed up tasks, but, don't mean that there aren't other ways to do the same thing.

The difference is HitFilm 3 Express is all you need to do something like Portal Combat and work through those tutorials while the tutorials you're talking about need add on packs to work through them. Both tutorials explain an add on pack is needed and are bracketed top and bottom with the price of the add on needed and links to purchase it.

FXHOME did give away some of the effects included in each pack just like Palacono said but it was for a limited time and didn't include anywhere near all the effects included in the two add ons. HitFilm 3 Express itself is of course free just as it always has been.

Triem23:

I will make it clearnow that I don't have $10-20 to shellout just for video editingjustyet. If I did have, I would choose Adobe After Effects over Hitfilm3Express or any other Hitfilmsoftwares since I am more experienced in Adobeworkspaces and tools.

As far as AE vs Hitfilm goes, you should be able to pick up Hitfilm pretty quickly. Most workflow practices are pretty much identical--just different names. So if you "precomp" in AE, we "embed(ed) Composite Shots" in Hitfilm. "Nulls" in AE are "Points" in Hitfilm. AE uses a pick-whip, Hitfilm uses a parenting dropdown. AE uses a "Set Track Matte" dropdown, Hitfilm uses a "Set Matte" effect. Same stuff, different name and slightly different execution, but in shouldn't take too long to learn how to get around Hitfilm.

Well, normally I would say lens flare, but you don't have that in stock Express.

Ok, using the masking tools, you're going to mask a couple of planes as feathered circles--one as your glow color, one as your core color. Basically you're drawing a flare. Composite these in screen mode, parent them to a point, then match the point up with the hilt. Keyframe opacity of the circle layers to go from 0 to 100% over one or two frames and fade to 0 over two or three frames. You can keyframe the scale of the point to make the flare bigger or smaller.

If you want to go Kylo Ren create another composite shot and add a plane with fractal noise. Small and tight. Keyframe the seed from any number to any number. Maybe between 2 or 3 values per second?

Bring this composite into your lightsaber comp and hide it.

Add Displacement to your saber layers and select the fractal noise comp as the Displacement source.

With tweaking of the fractal and displacement you should get a good distortion. Also if you see a tutorial referring to the Heat Haze effect? Do this Fractal/Displacement again. The Heat Haze effect just combines displacement with a fractal generator in one box.